Small talk with patients, what to say?

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One thing that got under my skin when I was doing ambassador work at the hospital was trying to have small talk with patients while taking them to whatever floor they needed to be on.
It's hard to say, "how are you," "are you having a good day?" and "have a nice day," because, you know, your in a hospital and the answer to "how are you" is "not very good".....Someone should write a book on things you can say to a patient that won't remind them they are not doing well. I usually talked about weather, but that got old after 15 patients in a row. I loved doing the work though and recommend anyone interested in healthcare to do some volunteer work at the local hospital.

I ask elderly people how long they've lived in the area, and that sometimes leads to stories about their lives.

Sometimes poking fun at the way things work in the hospital can break the ice. It shows that you empathize with their frustrations about how long things can take to happen, or how many times they have to repeat their allergies, identity, what happened to bring them there, etc.

How did you sleep last night..
What did you think of that game (whomever is local)
You picked a good to day to be here (if there is horrible weather..often in Michigan)
Did you get breakfast/lunch/dinner..
Oh your flowers/hat/grandchild are soo beautiful...

Sometimes, silence is golden. Pt's will just appreciate you being there.

As a nurse, my small talk has a dual purpose... It helps me bond with my patients, and it also helps me uncover any underlying issues/frustrations/ailments that I might not have known about. If I ask the patient, "How did you sleep last night?" and they say not well, I ask why. If they say its because they were hurting, then there's a pain med dosage/scheduling issue we need to deal with. If they say its because the bed is uncomfortable, I can see about getting them an air mattress to help with discomfort. Etc. There's always going to be people who sneer at you if you ask how they're doing and say, "Not good, I'm in this place!" but there will also be the patients who tell you, "I'm actually feeling a little better today." To the patients who sneer, I try to give them a little extra TLC, to the patients who tell me they are feeling better, I use that as an opportunity to suggest an increase in activity or diet (if permitted): "That's great! Do you feel like getting in the shower today?" Most patients in the hospital are bored/lonely for most of their day, and will appreciate any effort on your behalf to small talk. Don't be afraid of asking the wrong thing, you can always use their answer to bring a little humor or a little compassion into their day.